Last week's Riyadh talks between the United States and Russia have led to another round of face-to-face bilateral negotiations, set for Thursday in Istanbul.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed the meeting while alongside the emir of Qatar in Doha. The oil and gas rick Gulf country remains a close ally of Turkey.
The Istanbul meeting is expected to focus on restoring diplomatic staff and full relations at each respective embassy. Both sides went through several rounds of expelling the other's diplomats under the Biden administration, as relations hit a low-point during the Ukraine war, also amid US/EU-led sanctions on Moscow.
"Such a meeting will take place tomorrow in Istanbul. I think that its results will show how quickly and effectively we can move forward," Lavrov said Wednesday.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has also confirmed it is hosting the high-level talks. "As we have repeatedly stated, Türkiye is ready to provide all kinds of support to peace efforts, including hosting future talks," a spokesperson said.
The Feb.18 meeting in Riyadh focused on kickstarting direct talks related to preparing for peace negotiations to settle the Ukraine war, but importantly this took place with either Ukrainian or European representation.
The meeting in Istanbul will make it clear "how fast and efficiently the sides can move forward," Lavrov was cited in Russia's TASS as saying.
Lavrov in a press conference was asked about reports that the West could permanently seize nearly $300 billion in Russian assets held abroad. "As for our assets, which have been stolen primarily by Europeans, no, you know, there has been no talk about it. But I have no doubts that this issue will not disappear as part of the settlement," Lavrov responded.
The top Russian diplomat took the opportunity to blast European leaders for seeking to sabotage peace efforts involving the Trump White House:
Russia is waiting for Europeans to stop "lying that Russia blocks negotiations." Europe is advancing a "hopelessly outdated and failed" policy on Ukraine and is pushing Kiev to continue fighting.
"When the political balance of power regarding Ukraine changes, as was evident in the United Nations vote, Europe immediately tries to undermine this trend, announcing new large military aid packages to Kiev, pushing it to continue fighting, and openly stating, as I think the Danish prime minister did, that peace is worse than war for Ukraine in this situation."
Moscow believes that "the best aid from those who sincerely want to help resolve the conflict is to come to realize what caused it."
He specifically called out the plans of some to create a European army to be sent to Ukraine. Russia has consistently rejected this as a real option for viable peace.
Despite positive momentum on peace from this White House, Trump occasionally reverts to hawkish talking points concerning Ukraine:
After Ukraine agrees to the mineral "deal," Trump says in return Ukraine receives "the right to fight on." He boasts that he was the one who first gave Javelins to Ukraine, which wiped out a lot of Russian tanks. He says US weapons could continue to flow to Ukraine "for awhile" pic.twitter.com/P1svBUrpmu
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) February 25, 2025
"The approach that is being imposed by the Europeans, first of all France and the British, is aimed... at heating up the conflict further and stopping any attempts to calm it down," Lavrov said.
